This invention relates, generally, to the interconnection and alignment between a solid state laser and a optical fiber and, more particularly, to a package as well as a means for accomplishing same.
Attendant with the ever-increasing usage of fiber optics is the increased need and desire to place fiber optic emitters, detectors and connectors into various places which may operate over wide environmental ranges. Coupled with this increased usage is the desire and necessity to optically couple as much light which is produced by an emitter into an optical fiber. A number of schemes such as those found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,356 "Concentric Optic Termination Utilizing a Fixture" issued Dec. 7, 1982 to Williams et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,996 "Optic Adaptor Junction" issued Feb. 5, 1980 to Bowen et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,178,067 "Splicing Optic Waveguides by Shrinkable Means" issued Dec. 11, 1979 to Johnson et al attempt to minimize loss of optical power through optical mismatching. Additionally, optical mismatch may also occur when light does not emerge from an emitter in a direction strictly parallel to or perpendicular to an edge of a chip or when light is emitted in different directions from emitter to emitter due to manufacturing variations. This problem is particularly acute when laser emitters are utilized. Accordingly, it is advantageous to have a device which allows for alignment between optical emitter and optical fiber on an individualized emitter-to-emitter basis in order to maximize optical coupling. Also, it is desirable to have a device which minimizes environmental effects which may cause misalignment between an emitter and an optical fiber. Further, it is desirable to have a device which provides for captivating a fiber without the use of clamps. Such a device is taught by the present invention.
Accordingly, the present invention teaches as an object of the present invention, a device for aligning an optical fiber with an optical emitter, comprising an optical emitter, an optical fiber, a pedestal having an optical fiber holding aperture therein for fixedly holding the optical fiber therein, the pedestal further having a stem portion adjacent thereto, a support block having disposed thereon the optical emitter and having a well or pedestal retaining area therein which is adjacent the optical emitter, the well or pedestal retaining area having disposed therein the stem portion of the pedestal wherein the cross-sectional area of the well is substantially larger than the cross-sectional area of the pedestal, and a holder mounting material disposed in the well which has a coefficient of thermal expansion which relatively matches the coefficient of thermal expansion of the support block and which secures the stem portion in the pedestal retaining area.